Sail Servos

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Sail Servos

This topic has 9 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 1 month ago by Dave Reed.

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20 May 2025 at 22:57 #125746
Stephen Garrad
Participant
@stephengarrad28964
Can anyone please suggest somewhere I can read up on sail servos, how to set them up etc.

Now I’ve finished my Clyde Puffer I am renovating a rather nice old motor/sailer. It had an old 27mh receiver in it but other than that I don’t know how old it is. The existing sail servo, working 3 sheets is still working but I don’t understand how it is supposed to work.

It has a drum on top with a very thin wire running twice round it in a continuous loop round a pulley under the foredeck with a triangular plate in the wire with the 3 sheets attached which then run up through 3 holes in the deck to the sails.

When I operate the right hand stick the servo works and runs the triangular plate forward or back in the hull but if I stop the stick part way forward or back the servo then runs back to the centre position. The right hand stick is on spring return to centre at the moment. I think I want the sheets to stay where I put them, not keep returning to the centre when I stop moving the stick.

Are you confused, because I am. Is the old sail servo incompatible with the modern transmitter, is it perhaps faulty, what could I or should I replace it with?

I have a vague recollection of, when it was received new, taking the back off of one of my transmitters to fit a spring to make the right stick return to centre when released but I cant remember if it was the transmitter I am using with this boat.

I’d be grateful for any suggestions or help.

Thanks

Stephen

PS I do have another option, furl the sails and just use her as a motor but that would be a shame.
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21 May 2025 at 08:07 #125748
Richard Simpson
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@richardsimpson88330
Not my area but this is the font of all knowledge for yachting enthusiasts. If there is nothing on the website there is a forum where you can ask questions.

Vintage
21 May 2025 at 09:00 #125750
Richard Simpson
Participant
@richardsimpson88330
Just getting a little bit confused with your description. Are you saying when you move the stick fully over and hold it there the winch servo moves fully over then returns?

One thing that comes to mind is that your stick should not be centering to operate a winch servo. It should use the full travel from one extreme position to the other extreme position to operate the winch so it sounds like the stick needs the centering spring removing and then setting up for full range travel. The radio instructions should tell you how to do this as it varies from radio to radio. If you haven’t got the instructions then look on line and if you can’t find anything post the details of the radio on here and one of us might be able to find them for you.

To be brutally honest, if you are still using a 27mhz radio I think its time to ditch it and get yourself a new 2.4ghz set. You can get a brand new 4 or 6 channel 2.4 set from Howes for fourty quid so its just not worth messing with 27mhz any more.
21 May 2025 at 11:11 #125754
Chris Fellows
Participant
@chrisfellows72943
Yeah, something’s not right. As Richard says the stick should give you the full range of movement for operating the sails. The sticks with the spring back to centre position are usually only used for the throttle with forward and reverse and the rudder, both of which need a centre position.

If you can you could try setting up again so that the sheets are operated by the left-hand stick when pushed up and down, the throttle when pushed left and right and the rudder being operated by the right-hand stick.

Failing that I’d do as Richard suggests and get a new radio which will make it easier to set up the way you want. That’s what I did.

Chris
21 May 2025 at 22:23 #125763
Stephen Garrad
Participant
@stephengarrad28964
Thanks very much Richard & Chris for both of your replies and for the link Richard.

I’m sorry I wasn’t very clear earlier, I stripped out all of the old electrics and spaghetti wiring and left in the Decaperm motor & sail winch which is a Whirlwind Low profile Super Sail Winch. The 27Mhz receiver has gone, I didn’t have the transmitter to go with it anyway. I’ve also added a charging socket on deck to save removing the shrouds and forestay to get the masts and cabin top off to charge the battery.

I left the sail winch in as it appeared to work & if I took it out I wouldnt know what to replace it with & I wouldnt be able to put it back in. It appears to have been fitted before the deck was fitted as the wire running round the drum ran round a pulley up under the foredeck, completely unreachable.

From what you are both saying it seems that what I really need to do first is to sort out the transmitter so that the stick doesn’t spring back to the centre and see where that gets me. Ive had a quick look in the user manual, a Radiolink T8FB and cant see anything about that so I’ll have a dig around online.

Thanks again both for your help.

Stephen

PS 1/2 hour later

I had a dig around the Radiolink website – all in Chinese. Went on good old You Tube and found a Radiolink site which amongst many others has a video showing how to alter the sticks. Bit late to be starting that now so there’s a job for tomorrow.

Thanks again.

Stephen
22 May 2025 at 08:51 #125764
Ray Wood 3
Participant
@raywood3
Hi Stephen,

Most of my sailing boats use a lever arm servo which I find much easier to set up as I dislike computer radio’s,

Sail control is only really required to the mainsail for everyday sailing and are far easier to leave the foresails as self on a horse, retro fitting the lever servos can be awkward if you don’t have large hatches !! Flysky 6i are my radio of choice these days and have adjustable travel setting for using a drum winch.

If more travel is required with the lever arm a pulley on the arm with a 1 > 2 line works well.

Regards Ray
22 May 2025 at 17:26 #125766
Chris Fellows
Participant
@chrisfellows72943
I was contemplating using a winch in my Fisherman (also a motor sailer Stephen) using elastic to keep the sheet in tension as per my Dragonforce 65 yacht but I should have room to use a lever arm servo, which as you say Ray is a much simpler set up. Does that arm come with the servo?

Chris
22 May 2025 at 22:34 #125768
Stephen Garrad
Participant
@stephengarrad28964
Success!!!!!!!

Thankyou for your reply Ray. In this model all 3 sails, foresail, mainsail & mizzen are operated on the drum type sail winch which now gives about 9″ travel to the sheets, more than enough I would think.

Following the advice from Chris & Richard & the Yoooohoo Tube video I have removed the spring return on the right stick and now the servo operates as I think I want it to. I’ve not had a sailer before so its all a learning curve and I’m looking forward to having a go though I have been told that motor sailers are sometimes not very good at either. We shall see.

Thanks for that link Richard, I may well get in touch with them to see if I can identify the builder.

We’re off on holiday to Fishguard tomorrow so I’m glad this is sorted before we go.

Thanks all for your help.

Stephen
23 May 2025 at 08:09 #125769
Ray Wood 3
Participant
@raywood3
Hi Chris,

Yes the hitek servos come with the arm 🙂

Sailing all 3 days this weekend Sat DF65 & Victoria’s Sun Tugs Mon who knows maybe my newly aquired Moonbeam 🙂Or a standard servo which works perfectly well on a small model and saves £30 🙂

Regards Ray
23 May 2025 at 14:26 #125770
Dave Reed
Participant
@davereed72029
Alternatively you could make one. This one is a piece cut from a plastic pipe cover and glued on a standard servo with epoxy. Crude but it can be made to the exact length you need and it’s cheap. If it’s inside the hull it doesn’t need to be pretty.
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